Targeted message response

ABSTRACT

A tool for targeting a message response. The tool monitors reactions of a user to message subject lines, message content, and social networks. The tool analyzes user interest data and calculates a user interest rating per keyword. Rated keywords are stored in association with the user. When a user drafts a message addressed to a recipient, the tool compares rated keywords within the recipient&#39;s log with the subject line and message content. The tool suggests an alternative subject line likely to elicit a faster and more detailed response from the recipient.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to electronic communications,and more particularly to monitoring user interest to suggest analternative subject line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Internet is a global network of computers and networks joinedtogether by gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion ofmessages from a protocol of a sending network to a protocol used by areceiving network. On the Internet, computers may communicate with othercomputers. Information travels between computers over the Internetthrough a variety of languages, commonly referred to as protocols. A setof protocols used on the Internet is called the Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). When a user sends a message orretrieves information from another computer, the TCP/IP protocols makethe transmission possible. At their most basic level, these protocolsestablish the rules for how information passes through the Internet.

The Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate. Consisting ofmillions of private and public networks of local to global scope, theInternet has enabled and accelerated new forms of human interactionsthrough electronic messaging, Internet forums, and social networking. Asthe most rapidly adopted form of communication to date, electronicmessaging is utilized in both personal and business environments. Oneexample of electronic messaging is electronic mail (e-mail). E-mail isan extremely popular communication tool that allows people around theworld send billions of messages every day. Users are able to shareexperiences, cultivate knowledge, and stay connected with family andfriends. In the business environment, e-mail may be used to developideas, foster work relationships, collaborate globally, and keepemployees at all levels of business informed.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment of the present invention, a method, system, andcomputer program product are disclosed for capturing a user's reactionto subject lines and message content to achieve a targeted messageresponse. A computer, in response to receiving an electronic message,determines a recipient and one or more keywords associated with theelectronic message. The computer, in response to determining a recipientand one or more keywords, determines a level of user interest in the oneor more keywords associated with the electronic message. The computer,in response to determining the level of user interest in the one or morekeywords, calculates a user interest rating per keyword, and stores therated keyword in association with the user.

The computer, in response to a user drafting a message addressed to therecipient, compares a rated keyword associated with the recipient to thesubject line and message content. The computer, in response toretrieving pertinent rated keywords associated with the recipient,creates an alternative subject line for optimized recipient consumption.The computer, in response to creating the alternative subject line,presents the alternative subject line to the user, advising the userthat replacing the current subject line with the alternative subjectline is likely to produce a faster and more detailed message responsefrom the recipient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a distributed data processing environmentaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the steps of a program, residing on the servercomputer of FIG. 1, for monitoring user activity to determine whatkeywords generate the most interest for a user, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the steps of a program, residing on the servercomputer of FIG. 1, for providing a user with an alternative subjectline for optimized recipient consumption, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of components of a data processing system(such as the server computer and client computers of FIG. 1), depictedin accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention recognize that when accessingelectronic mail, the sender and subject line are prominently displayed.With the abundance of electronic communications sent and received daily,and the limited amount of time a user may have to review these e-mails,it is difficult to give attention to every one. Often, importantcommunications are disregarded, because the subject matter is notengaging. For example, in a business context, a user browsing theirinbox may typically open messages with the most interesting subjectmatter first, or those messages that are sent by management. Thereafter,the user may begin their daily tasks and not return to their inbox toopen messages for some time. If an initial impression of the message isnot appealing to the user, the message may be overlooked. In thisregard, otherwise important content in a message may be neglected due toinadequacies in the subject line. Therefore, senders are oftenchallenged with crafting an enticing subject line to ensure recipientconsumption.

Embodiments of the present invention provide the capability to monitoruser reaction to e-mail subject lines, message content, and other socialnetwork data to learn what specific keywords generate the most interestfor a user. Embodiments of the present invention also assist the senderin selecting an optimized subject line for improved recipientconsumption.

Implementation of such embodiments may take a variety forms, andexemplary implementation details are discussed subsequently withreference to the Figures.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method, or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable mediahaving computer-readable program code/instructions embodied thereon.

Any combination of computer-readable media may be utilized.Computer-readable media may be a computer-readable signal medium or acomputer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium maybe, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic,optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus,or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specificexamples (a non-exhaustive list) of a computer-readable storage mediumwould include the following: an electrical connection having one or morewires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory(RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compactdisc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magneticstorage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In thecontext of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be anytangible medium that can contain, or store, a program for use by or inconnection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium thatis not a computer-readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus or device.

Program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium including, but not limited to, wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java®, Smalltalk, C++or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on a user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer,or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions that execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in acomputer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmabledata processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions thatimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce acomputer-implemented process such that the instructions that execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toFigures. FIG. 1 illustrates a distributed data processing environment,generally designated 100, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

Distributed data processing environment 100 comprises network 102,server computer 104, and multiple client computers such as clientcomputers 106 and 108. Network 102 may include wire cables, wirelesscommunication links, fiber optic cables, routers, switches and/orfirewalls. Server computer 104 and client computers 106 and 108 areinterconnected by network 102.

Server computer 104 may be, for example, a server computer system suchas a management server, web server, or any other electronic device orcomputing system capable of sending and receiving data. In anotherembodiment, server computer 104 represents a “cloud” of computersinterconnected by one or more networks, where server computer 104 is acomputing system utilizing clustered computers and components to act asa single pool of seamless resources when accessed through network 102.This is a common implementation for data centers in addition to cloudcomputing applications. Client computers 106 and 108 are clients toserver computer 104, and may be, for example, a notebook, laptopcomputer, tablet computer, a handheld device or smart phone, a thinclient, or any other electronic device or computing system capable ofcommunicating with server computer 104 through network 102.

Server computer 104 executes server electronic messaging program 110 forreceiving, sending, and managing electronic messages, such as e-mail,instant messages and text messages, between client computer 106 andclient computer 108. Client messaging programs 112 and 114 execute onclient computers 106 and 108, respectively. Client messaging programs112 and 114 communicate securely with server electronic messagingprogram 110 and provide respective user interfaces 116 and 118 forcomposing and viewing electronic messages. Server computer 104 includesa social subject log 124 for storing multiple user logs, such as userlog 126. User log 126 contains a keyword database 128, a rated keywordcatalog 130 and a positive response list 132.

Server messaging program 110 may include a number of programs andfunctions to achieve a targeted message response for a recipient. In oneembodiment, reaction evaluation program 120 learns what keywordsgenerate the most interest for a user by monitoring user activity. Forexample, as a user browses their inbox or social network profiles (suchas Facebook®, LinkedIn®, or communities) reaction evaluation program 120compiles multiple data points (such as action taken on an e-mail, timespent on a message, or information from social profiles) within keyworddatabase 128, that are then used to calculate a user interest rating forany given keyword. Reaction evaluation program 120 assigns ratings tothe collected keywords and records them to a rated keyword catalog 130within user log 126.

In one embodiment of the present invention, subject selection program122 may utilize the data gathered and processed by reaction evaluationprogram 120 to suggest an alternative subject line for more optimizedrecipient consumption. For example, when a sender drafts an e-mail(including content and subject line) and adds a recipient, subjectselection program 122 may call on social subject log 124 to access therelevant recipient user log 126. Subject selection program 122 may crossreference the current draft's content and subject line with arecipient's rated keyword catalog 130. Alternative high impact keywordsfrom rated keyword catalog 130 may populate a positive response list132. Subject selection program 122 creates an alternative subject linefrom keywords in positive response list 132 and presents the alternativesubject line to the sender through, for example, user interface 116 onclient computer 106. Subject selection program 122 may advise the senderthat the alternative subject line is, for example, 30% more likely toillicit a faster and more detailed response from the recipient comparedto using the current subject line.

In a trusted environment, user log 126 may be attached to user IDs. Forexample, if the user is an employee of a corporation, social subject log124 contains all the employees' user IDs and their corresponding userlog 126. Each employee has a personalized rated keyword catalog 130 thatother employees may access using subject selection program 122. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 1, social subject log 124 is stored on localstorage of server computer 104. In an alternative embodiment, socialsubject log 124 may be stored within network 102.

In another embodiment of the present invention, reaction evaluationprogram 120 and subject selection program 122 are part of messagingprograms 112 and 114 installed on client computers 106 and 108,respectively. In such an embodiment, social subject log 124 may bestored on network 102.

In the depicted example, network 102 is the Internet representing aworldwide collection of networks and gateways that use TCP/IP protocolsto communicate with one another. Network 102 may also be implemented asa number of different types of networks, such as an intranet, a localarea network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN). FIG. 1 is intended asan example, and not as an architectural limitation for the differentembodiments.

Distributed data processing environment 100 may include additionalserver computers, client computers, displays and other devices notshown.

Server computer 104 and client computers 106 and 108, each maintainrespective internal components, and respective external components. Ingeneral, server computer 104 and client computers 106 and 108 can be anyprogrammable electronic device as described in further detail withrespect to FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the steps of reaction evaluation program 120for monitoring user activity to determine what keywords generate themost interest for a user, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

In step 202, reaction evaluation program 120 receives a command to beginexecution. In one embodiment of the present invention, the command toexecute may be a default setting within server electronic messagingprogram 110. In another embodiment, the command to execute may beenabled by, for example, the user of client computer 106 through userinterface 116 of messaging program 112.

In step 204, reaction evaluation program 120 monitors user activity. Inone implementation, when a user opens their inbox, reaction evaluationprogram 120 may determine the recipient and one or more keywordsassociated with the electronic message. Reaction evaluation program 120may determine the order that messages are opened, the rate that messagesare opened, or the length of time spent on each message after opening,relative to prominent words or phrases (such as pronouns, nouns, verbs,etc.) present in the subject line or content of the message. Reactionevaluation program 120 may also track the type of action taken on themessage (such as reply, forward, flag, archive, or delete). For example,a user opens their inbox every morning at 9:00 AM. The user first opensa message with the keyword “sales” in the subject line, within 1 minuteafter opening their inbox, and spends 3-4 minutes flagging and replyingto the message. Reaction evaluation program 120 gathers this datarelated to the keyword “sales” (e.g., timing, actions taken, etc.),assigns it to the keyword “sales,” and stores it as user interest datawithin keyword database 128 of user log 126 (step 206). In variousembodiments, multiple keywords and phrases may be gathered from asubject line.

In another implementation, when a user browses social networks, reactionevaluation program 120 may observe unique elements (such as prominentwords or phrases, activities, affiliations, or areas of expertise) thatinterest the user as evidenced by positive indicia (such as time spenton a particular social profile or forum, frequency of reoccurring words,phrases, topics, or activities, or similarity of various affiliations).In one embodiment, reaction evaluation program 120 utilizes a datamining process, such as association rule learning, to search forrelationships between variables, or a web user analysis process, such assequential pattern mining, to extract data items that frequently occurtogether in sequence. For example, a user may be a member of the group“Bob Loblaw Law Blog” on Facebook, may frequently access the legalwebsite abovethelaw.com, and may post comments, many including the word“law,” on the Corporate and Securities Law Community on LexisNexus™.Reaction evaluation program 120 gathers this information related to theword “law,” and stores it as user interest data within keyword database128 of user log 126 (step 206). Reaction evaluation program 120 may alsoutilize an information extraction process, such as “wrappers,” which aresets of highly accurate rules that extract a particular page's content,or machine-learning based natural language processing (NLP), to extractuser interest data from a social network.

In one embodiment, reaction evaluation program 120 may begin monitoringuser activity when server computer 104 receives a request to access aweb page. In another embodiment, if reaction evaluation program 120 isinstalled on, for example, client computer 106, reaction evaluationprogram 120 may monitor user activity by searching website history onlocal storage. If reaction evaluation program 120 is installed on, forexample server computer 104, reaction evaluation program 120 may monitoruser activity by placing a web bug or cookie on, for example, clientcomputer 106 that will download website history to storage on servercomputer 104.

In another implementation, reaction evaluation program 120 may be userconfigurable to allow a user to determine what types of activityreaction evaluation program 120 monitors. For example, a user mayconstrain reaction evaluation program 120 to monitor only positiveindicators of interest (such as reply to a message, flag as important,etc.), only negative indicators of interest (such as delete message,never open message, long delay before accessing message, etc.), or acombination of both.

In step 208, reaction evaluation program 120 analyzes the user interestdata stored in keyword database 128 to establish a user interestbaseline and calculate a user interest rating for each keyword observed.In one implementation, reaction evaluation program 120 maycross-reference the user interest data for the keyword “sales” (storedin keyword database 128) with an indicator checklist tool. An indicatorchecklist tool may include a myriad of default parameters that, ifsatisfied, can increase or decrease the user interest rating for a givenkeyword. For example, an indicator checklist tool may include parameterssuch as “first message opened,” “second message opened,” and so on, “0-1minute spent on message,” “1-2 minutes spent on message,” “2-3 minutesspent on message,” and so on, or “reply to message,” “flag message,”“delete message,” etc. Each parameter, if satisfied, may count (eitherpositive value, such as 0.5, or a negative value, such as −0.5) towardsthe final user interest rating for the given keyword. Expanding on theexample above, when reaction evaluation program 120 analyzes the keyword“sales” in the indicator checklist tool, the keyword “sales” may satisfymultiple parameters, contributing to a final user interest rating of,for example, 3.5.In another implementation, reaction evaluation program120 may be user configurable to allow for personalization of parametersthat are included in an indicator checklist tool.

In step 210, reaction evaluation program 120 stores rated keywords torated keyword catalog 130. In one implementation, reaction evaluationprogram 120 may catalog rated keywords in rated keyword catalog 130 bytheir assigned user interest rating. For example, the keyword “sales,”with a user interest rating of 3.5, would be cataloged between, forexample, “success,” with a user interest rating of 4.0, and “marketing,”with a user interest rating of 3.0. These positions may not be static,as reaction evaluation program 120 may update user interest data on aconstant basis, and over time, rated keyword catalog 130 evolves,becoming more accurate as data is collected. In another implementation,reaction evaluation program 120 may store rated keywords in ratedkeyword catalog 130 by relatedness of the keywords. For example, thekeyword “sales” may be cataloged with related keywords, such as“marketing,” “advertising,” “promotion,” or “deals,” independent ofassigned user interest ratings. In another implementation, reactionevaluation program 120 may be user configurable to allow forpersonalization in the way keywords are organized in rated keywordcatalog 130.

If reaction evaluation program 120 receives a command to close (positivebranch of step 212), reaction evaluation program 120 ceases to monitor,analyze, and store user interest data. If reaction evaluation program120 does not receive a command to close (negative branch of step 212),reaction evaluation program 120 continues to monitor, analyze, and storeuser interest data.

In one embodiment, reaction evaluation program 120 may be an intelligentsystem, continuously learning what keywords generate the most interestfor a user over time, by constantly monitoring the latest user activityand updating user interest data.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the steps of subject selection program 122 forproviding an alternative subject line for optimized recipientconsumption, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, in step 306, subsequent to receiving a command toexecute (step 302), and receiving notification that a user drafted amessage and affixed a recipient ID in the address line (step 304),subject selection program 122 calls on social subject log 124 to searchfor a user log associated with the recipient ID affixed in the addressline of the message. In one implementation, subject selection program122 may utilize a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) foraccessing and maintaining user log directory information within socialsubject log 124. For example, subject selection program 122 may requestan LDAP search for a user log matching the recipient ID (such as, therecipient's email address, first and last name, handle, etc.). If a userlog, such as user log 126, matches the recipient ID, LDAP retrieves theuser log for subject selection program 122 to utilize it.

In step 308 subject selection program 122 compares the subject line andcontent of the message to stored rated keywords within rated keywordcatalog 130 of recipient's user log. In one implementation, subjectselection program 122 may utilize natural language processing (NLP) tocompare the subject line to stored rated keywords within rated keywordcatalog 130. For example, a user drafts a message with the subject line,“What is the status of the java project from 3 months ago?” Subjectselection program 122 may, with the assistance of natural languagesupport, compare prominent words or phrases from the subject line (e.g.,status, java, project, 3 months ago) with stored rated keywords fromrated keyword catalog 130 to generate candidate rated keywords (such asstatus, java, project, time, milestone, deadline, report, coding,testing, resources, etc.) that may be synonyms, substitute words, oridentical words relative to the prominent words from the draft subjectline.

In step 310, subject selection program 122 selects one or more wordsfrom the candidate rated keywords to incorporate into an alternativesubject line. In one implementation, subject selection program 122 mayuse a predictive analytics system to determine the likelihood that arecipient will respond to a given alternative word or word combination.Subject selection program 122 may use the rating assigned to each storedrated keyword (an indication of user interest) to ascertain a relativepercentage increase of recipient response by selecting the alternative.Subject selection program 122 may select from the candidate ratedkeywords a word or word combination representative of the highest userinterest rating as an alternative subject line. For example, of thecandidate rated keywords, “coding” has a user interest rating of 7.5,and “milestone” has a user interest rating of 8.5. Subject selectionprogram 122 may ascertain that of the candidate rated keywords, the wordcombination “coding milestone,” is semantically equivalent to the draftsubject line and, if used as a standalone subject line, “codingmilestone” represents an alternative with the greatest likelihood ofrecipient response. In another implementation, subject selection program122 may be user configurable to allow for selection of the type ofrelationship between the candidate rated keywords and the draft subjectline that the predictive analytics program uses in selecting words orword combinations for the alternative subject line. For example, subjectselection program 122 may select candidate rated keywords that are mostattractive to the recipient (based on highest weight user interestrating) that are most similar to the subject line (e.g., purchases beingmost similar to sales) or a combination of most attractive similarwords. In another implementation, subject selection program 122 may beuser configurable to allow for designating the number of alternativesubject line suggestions provided to the user. For example, a user couldconfigure subject selection program 122 to give only the bestalternative, the top three alternatives, or all possible alternativesfrom the set of candidate keywords.

In step 312, subject selection program 122 populates positive responselist 132 with the created alternative words or word combinations.Alternative words or word combinations on positive response list 132 maybe presented to the user through, for example, user interface 116 onclient computer 106 (step 314). Subject selection program 122 may advisethe user that they are, for example, 30% more likely to receive a fasterand more detailed response from the recipient using the suggestedoptimized alternative, and then prompt them to replace the draft subjectline with the suggested optimized alternative (step 316). If a userelects to replace the current draft subject line with the suggestedoptimized alternative, then the alternative takes the place of the draftsubject line, and the user interface closes. The user may then send themessage to the recipient.

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of components of server computer inaccordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Itshould be appreciated that FIG. 4 provides only an illustration of oneimplementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to theenvironments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Manymodifications to the depicted environment may be made.

Server computer 104 includes communications fabric 402, which providescommunications between computer processor(s) 404, memory 406, persistentstorage 408, communications unit 410, and input/output (I/O)interface(s) 412. Communications fabric 402 can be implemented with anyarchitecture designed for passing data and/or control informationbetween processors (such as microprocessors, communications and networkprocessors, etc.), system memory, peripheral devices, and any otherhardware components within a system. For example, communications fabric402 can be implemented with one or more buses.

Memory 406 and persistent storage 408 are computer-readable storagemedia. In this embodiment, memory 406 includes random access memory(RAM) 414 and cache memory 416. In general, memory 406 can include anysuitable volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage media.

Reaction evaluation program 120 and subject selection program 122 arestored in persistent storage 408 for execution by one or more of therespective computer processors 404 via one or more memories of memory406. In this embodiment, persistent storage 408 includes a magnetic harddisk drive. Alternatively, or in addition to a magnetic hard disk drive,persistent storage 408 can include a solid state hard drive, asemiconductor storage device, read-only memory (ROM), erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, or any othercomputer-readable storage media that is capable of storing programinstructions or digital information.

The media used by persistent storage 408 may also be removable. Forexample, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 408.Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, andsmart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto anothercomputer-readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage408.

Communications unit 410, in these examples, provides for communicationswith other data processing systems or devices, including clientcomputers 106 and 108. In these examples, communications unit 410includes one or more network interface cards. Communications unit 410may provide communications through the use of either or both physicaland wireless communications links. Reaction evaluation program 120 andsubject selection program 122 may be downloaded to persistent storage408 through communications unit 410.

I/O interface(s) 412 allows for input and output of data with otherdevices that may be connected to server computer 102. For example, I/Ointerface 412 may provide a connection to external devices 418 such as akeyboard, keypad, a touch screen, and/or some other suitable inputdevice. External devices 418 can also include portable computer-readablestorage media such as, for example, thumb drives, portable optical ormagnetic disks, and memory cards. Software and data used to practiceembodiments of the present invention, e.g., reaction evaluation program120 and subject selection program 122, can be stored on such portablecomputer-readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistentstorage 408 via I/O interface(s) 412. I/O interface(s) 412 also connectto a display 420.

Display 420 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be,for example, a computer monitor.

The programs described herein are identified based upon the applicationfor which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of theinvention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular programnomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus theinvention should not be limited to use solely in any specificapplication identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for targeting a message response, themethod comprising: a computer system determining, from an electronicmessage, a recipient and one or more keywords associated with theelectronic message; the computer system calculating a recipient interestrating for the one or more keywords associated with the electronicmessage, wherein the recipient interest rating is based, at least inpart, on observed recipient activity, an established recipient interestbaseline, one or more positive indicators of interest, and one or morenegative indicators of interest; the computer system, in response to asender drafting a subsequent electronic message addressed to therecipient, comparing one or more rated keywords, including one or morekeywords stored in association with the recipient, to a subject line andmessage content of the subsequent electronic message, wherein the one ormore keywords stored in association with the recipient include one ormore elements that interest the recipient as evidenced by the recipientinterest rating; and the computer system suggesting one or morealternative subject lines incorporating at least one of the one or morerated keywords stored in association with the recipient, whereinsuggesting the one or more alternative subject lines includes utilizinga predictive analytics system to determine a relative percentageincrease in likelihood that the recipient will respond based on the oneor more alternative subject lines, and further advising the sender ofthe relative percentage increase in such likelihood for each of the oneor more alternative subject lines.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining the one or more keywords associated with the electronicmessage, comprises at least one of: the computer system determining thefrequency of words used in the electronic message; the computer systemdetermining affiliations of the recipient; the computer systemdetermining the type of words used in the electronic message; and thecomputer system determining the format of words used in the electronicmessage.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the user interestrating for the one or more keywords associated with the electronicmessage, comprises the computer system assigning the keyword a weightbased on at least one of: the computer system determining one or moreactions taken on the electronic message; the computer system determiningtime spent on the electronic message by the recipient; the computersystem determining how quickly the electronic message was accessed bythe recipient; and the computer system determining a relationshipbetween the recipient and a sender.
 4. The method of claim 3, whereinassigning the keyword a weight based on determining indicators,comprises the computer system assigning a positive point value forindicators suggesting high user interest, and a negative point value forindicators suggesting low user interest.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein comparing rated keywords to the subject line and message contentof the subsequent electronic message, comprises at least one of; thecomputer system searching for synonyms, of one or more words within thesubject line and message content, within the stored rated keywords; thecomputer system searching for one or more stored rated keywordsidentical to one or more words within the subject line and messagecontent; the computer system searching for rated keywords, based onweight, within the stored rated keywords; and the computer systemsearching for one or more stored rated keywords equivalent to one ormore words within the subject line and message content.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein suggesting an alternative subject line, comprises atleast one of: the computer system creating an alternative subject linefrom one or more rated keywords with the highest weight; the computersystem creating an alternative subject line from one or more ratedkeywords determined to be synonyms of one or more words within thesubject line and message content of the subsequent electronic message;the computer system creating an alternative subject line from one ormore rated keywords determined to be equivalent to one or more wordswithin the subject line and message content of the subsequent electronicmessage; and the computer system creating an alternative subject linefrom one or more combinations of rated keywords.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein creating an alternative subject line from one or more ratedkeywords, the computer system creates a second alternative subject line,subsequent to creating the alternative subject line, which is profferedto the user to replace the subject line of the subsequent electronicmessage.
 8. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readablestorage device for targeting a message response, the computer programproduct comprising: one or more computer-readable storage devices andprogram instructions stored on the one or more computer-readablestorage, devices the program instructions comprising: programinstructions to determine, from an electronic message, a recipient andone or more keywords associated with the electronic message; programinstructions to calculate a recipient interest rating for the one ormore keywords associated with the electronic message, wherein therecipient interest rating is based, at least in part, on observedrecipient activity, an established recipient interest baseline, one ormore positive indicators of interest, and one or more negativeindicators of interest; program instructions, in response to a senderdrafting a subsequent electronic message addressed to the recipient, tocompare one or more rated keywords, including one or more keywordsstored in association with the recipient, to a subject line and messagecontent of the subsequent electronic message, wherein the one or morekeywords stored in association with the recipient include one or moreelements that interest the recipient as evidenced by the recipientinterest rating; and program instructions to suggest one or morealternative subject lines incorporating at least one of the one or morerated keywords stored in association with the recipient, whereinsuggesting the one or more alternative subject lines includes utilizinga predictive analytics system to determine a relative percentageincrease in likelihood that the recipient will respond based on the oneor more alternative subject lines, and further advising the sender ofthe relative percentage increase in such likelihood for each of the oneor more alternative subject lines.
 9. The computer program product ofclaim 8, wherein the program instructions to determine the one or morekeywords associated with the electronic message, comprises at least oneof: program instructions to determine the frequency of words used in theelectronic message; program instructions to determine affiliations ofthe recipient; program instructions to determine the type of words usedin the electronic message; and program instructions to determine theformat of words used in the electronic message.
 10. The computer programproduct of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to calculate theuser interest rating for the one or more keywords associated with theelectronic message, comprises program instructions to assign the keyworda weight based on at least one of: program instructions to determine oneor more actions taken on the electronic message; program instructions todetermine time spent on the electronic message by the recipient; programinstructions to determine how quickly the electronic message wasaccessed by the recipient; and program instructions to determine arelationship between the recipient and a sender.
 11. The computerprogram product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions to assignthe keyword a weight based on determined indicators, comprises programinstructions to assign a positive point value for indicators suggestinghigh user interest, and a negative point value for indicators suggestinglow user interest.
 12. The computer program product of claim 8, whereinthe program instructions to compare rated keywords to the subject lineand message content of the subsequent electronic message, comprises atleast one of; program instructions to search for synonyms of one or morewords, within the subject line and message content, within the storedrated keywords; program instructions to search for one or more storedrated keywords identical to one or more words within the subject lineand message content; program instructions to search for rated keywords,based on weight, within the stored rated keywords; and programinstructions to search for one or more stored rated keywords equivalentto one or more words within the subject line and message content. 13.The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the programinstructions to suggest an alternative subject line, comprises at leastone of: program instructions to create an alternative subject line fromone or more rated keywords with the highest weight; program instructionsto create an alternative subject line from one or more rated keywordsdetermined to be synonyms of one or more words within the subject lineand message content of the subsequent electronic message; programinstructions to create an alternative subject line from one or morerated keywords determined to be equivalent to one or more words withinthe subject line and message content of the subsequent electronicmessage; and program instructions to create an alternative subject linefrom one or more combinations of rated keywords.
 14. The computerprogram product of claim 13, wherein the program instructions to createan alternative subject line from one or more rated keywords, comprisesprogram instructions to create a second alternative subject line,subsequent to creating the alternative subject line, which is profferedto the user to replace the subject line of the subsequent electronicmessage.
 15. A system for targeting a message response, the systemcomprising: one or more computer processors; one or morecomputer-readable storage media; program instructions stored on at leastone of the one or more computer-readable storage media for execution byat least one of the one or more computer processors, the programinstructions comprising: program instructions to determine, from anelectronic message, a recipient and one or more keywords associated withthe electronic message; program instructions to calculate a recipientinterest rating for the one or more keywords associated with theelectronic message, wherein the recipient interest rating is based, atleast in part, on observed recipient activity, an established recipientinterest baseline, one or more positive indicators of interest, and oneor more negative indicators of interest; program instructions, inresponse to a sender drafting a subsequent electronic message addressedto the recipient, to compare one or more rated keywords, including oneor more keywords stored in association with the recipient, to a subjectline and message content of the subsequent electronic message, whereinthe one or more keywords stored in association with the recipientinclude one or more elements that interest the recipient as evidenced bythe recipient interest rating; and program instructions to suggest oneor more alternative subject lines incorporating at least one of the oneor more rated keywords stored in association with the recipient, whereinsuggesting the one or more alternative subject lines includes utilizinga predictive analytics system to determine a relative percentageincrease in likelihood that the recipient will respond based on the oneor more alternative subject lines, and further advising the sender ofthe relative percentage increase in such likelihood for each of the oneor more alternative subject lines.
 16. The system of claim 15, whereinthe program instructions to determine the one or more keywordsassociated with the electronic message, comprises: program instructionsto determine the frequency of words used in the electronic message;program instructions to determine affiliations of the recipient; programinstructions to determine the type of words used in the electronicmessage; and program instructions to determine the format of words usedin the electronic message.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein theprogram instructions to calculate the user interest rating for the oneor more keywords associated with the electronic message, comprisesprogram instructions to assign the keyword a weight based on: programinstructions to determine one or more actions taken on the electronicmessage; program instructions to determine time spent on the electronicmessage by the recipient; program instructions to determine how quicklythe electronic message was accessed by the recipient; and programinstructions to determine a relationship between the recipient and asender.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the program instructions toassign the keyword a weight based on determined indicators, comprisesprogram instructions to assign a positive point value for indicatorssuggesting high user interest, and a negative point value for indicatorssuggesting low user interest.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein theprogram instructions to compare rated keywords to the subject line andmessage content of the subsequent electronic message, comprises; programinstructions to search for synonyms of one or more words within thesubject line and message content within the stored rated keywords;program instructions to search for one or more stored rated keywordsidentical to one or more words within the subject line and messagecontent; program instructions to search for rated keywords, based onweight, within the stored rated keywords; and program instructions tosearch for one or more stored rated keywords equivalent to one or morewords within the subject line and message content.
 20. The system ofclaim 15, wherein the program instructions to suggest an alternativesubject line, comprises at least one of: program instructions to createan alternative subject line from one or more rated keywords with thehighest weight; program instructions to create an alternative subjectline from one or more rated keywords determined to be synonyms of one ormore words within the subject line and message content of the subsequentelectronic message; program instructions to create an alternativesubject line from one or more rated keywords determined to be equivalentto one or more words within the subject line and message content of thesubsequent electronic message; and program instructions to create analternative subject line from one or more combinations of ratedkeywords.